I'm sorry but I don't think retarded is a bigoted word. It's a word that was used dispassionately to refer to ... well ... retarded people before a bunch of kids started calling each other that name on the playground. Now some people prefer "mentally handicapped" or whatever polysyllabic variation carries the day. Saying retard is bigoted is like saying moron, or imbecile is bigoted. Just because some people have appropriated a word like this and used it as an insult does not make it bigotry.

On the other hand, words like "nigger" or "faggot" (the latter when directed at a person) have pretty much always been used as an insult to people based on certain characteristics. As far as I'm aware, they were never used in a way other than an epithet.

agentcom wrote:I'm sorry but I don't think retarded is a bigoted word. It's a word that was used dispassionately to refer to ... well ... retarded people before a bunch of kids started calling each other that name on the playground. Now some people prefer "mentally handicapped" or whatever polysyllabic variation carries the day. Saying retard is bigoted is like saying moron, or imbecile is bigoted. Just because some people have appropriated a word like this and used it as an insult does not make it bigotry.

Well, the "mentally handicapped" community generally finds the word deeply offensive when used in this way, and that's the ultimate litmus test for determining whether we should consider it bigotry or not.

agentcom wrote:I'm sorry but I don't think retarded is a bigoted word. It's a word that was used dispassionately to refer to ... well ... retarded people before a bunch of kids started calling each other that name on the playground. Now some people prefer "mentally handicapped" or whatever polysyllabic variation carries the day. Saying retard is bigoted is like saying moron, or imbecile is bigoted. Just because some people have appropriated a word like this and used it as an insult does not make it bigotry.

Well, the "mentally handicapped" community generally finds the word deeply offensive when used in this way, and that's the ultimate litmus test for determining whether we should consider it bigotry or not.

agentcom wrote:I'm sorry but I don't think retarded is a bigoted word. It's a word that was used dispassionately to refer to ... well ... retarded people before a bunch of kids started calling each other that name on the playground. Now some people prefer "mentally handicapped" or whatever polysyllabic variation carries the day. Saying retard is bigoted is like saying moron, or imbecile is bigoted. Just because some people have appropriated a word like this and used it as an insult does not make it bigotry.

On the other hand, words like "nigger" or "faggot" (the latter when directed at a person) have pretty much always been used as an insult to people based on certain characteristics. As far as I'm aware, they were never used in a way other than an epithet.

Not necessarily. Fag is pretty much the equivalent of calling someone retarded in school kid terms. Has nothing to do with one's sexual preference.

Metsfanmax wrote:

agentcom wrote:I'm sorry but I don't think retarded is a bigoted word. It's a word that was used dispassionately to refer to ... well ... retarded people before a bunch of kids started calling each other that name on the playground. Now some people prefer "mentally handicapped" or whatever polysyllabic variation carries the day. Saying retard is bigoted is like saying moron, or imbecile is bigoted. Just because some people have appropriated a word like this and used it as an insult does not make it bigotry.

Well, the "mentally handicapped" community generally finds the word deeply offensive when used in this way, and that's the ultimate litmus test for determining whether we should consider it bigotry or not.

Agreed. If fag is a bigoted word then retarded is too. Because both groups would be offended. But what would be an actual good test would to be actually consider the CONTEXT for which the word was used. So neither would be bad.

agentcom wrote:I'm sorry but I don't think retarded is a bigoted word. It's a word that was used dispassionately to refer to ... well ... retarded people before a bunch of kids started calling each other that name on the playground. Now some people prefer "mentally handicapped" or whatever polysyllabic variation carries the day. Saying retard is bigoted is like saying moron, or imbecile is bigoted. Just because some people have appropriated a word like this and used it as an insult does not make it bigotry.

On the other hand, words like "nigger" or "faggot" (the latter when directed at a person) have pretty much always been used as an insult to people based on certain characteristics. As far as I'm aware, they were never used in a way other than an epithet.

Not necessarily. Fag is pretty much the equivalent of calling someone retarded in school kid terms. Has nothing to do with one's sexual preference.

Metsfanmax wrote:

agentcom wrote:I'm sorry but I don't think retarded is a bigoted word. It's a word that was used dispassionately to refer to ... well ... retarded people before a bunch of kids started calling each other that name on the playground. Now some people prefer "mentally handicapped" or whatever polysyllabic variation carries the day. Saying retard is bigoted is like saying moron, or imbecile is bigoted. Just because some people have appropriated a word like this and used it as an insult does not make it bigotry.

Well, the "mentally handicapped" community generally finds the word deeply offensive when used in this way, and that's the ultimate litmus test for determining whether we should consider it bigotry or not.

Agreed. If fag is a bigoted word then retarded is too. Because both groups would be offended. But what would be an actual good test would to be actually consider the CONTEXT for which the word was used. So neither would be bad.

This is where recently, I have come to realize that fag should be removed from the bigot word list. People have called me a fag before. I just shrug it off or ask them to apologize before I report. Then and only then can I draw a conclusion to whether or not someone is actually joking, or is actually saying I'm a homosexual. GeneralRisk here is using this to report someone. Even though it may be against the rules, it's still just an EXCUSE to report something.

And FYI, being called a fag shouldn't hurt you unless you really are one.

agentcom wrote:I'm sorry but I don't think retarded is a bigoted word. It's a word that was used dispassionately to refer to ... well ... retarded people before a bunch of kids started calling each other that name on the playground. Now some people prefer "mentally handicapped" or whatever polysyllabic variation carries the day. Saying retard is bigoted is like saying moron, or imbecile is bigoted. Just because some people have appropriated a word like this and used it as an insult does not make it bigotry.

Well, the "mentally handicapped" community generally finds the word deeply offensive when used in this way, and that's the ultimate litmus test for determining whether we should consider it bigotry or not.

I hardly think being offended should be the "ultimate litmus test." Lots of people are offended by rape jokes. That makes them in bad taste, it doesn't make them bigotry. Same with the big "c-word." Please don't suggest that being offended is what is how we decide whether something is bigotry.

Second, is the retarded "community" really offended by this or just their parents? I have a feeling it's the latter.

cowboyz wrote:Not necessarily. Fag is pretty much the equivalent of calling someone retarded in school kid terms. Has nothing to do with one's sexual preference.

You're missing the point. The definitions don't get to be set by school children. In the case of "fag" and "nigger" the definitions were set by bigots and they cannot change. In the case of retard the word was proper terminology. The fact that some groups of people appropriated all of these terms as epithets does not mean that we should treat all of them equally. People have turned lots of words into insults. But some of those insults ALSO happen to be terms that are historically bigoted terms.

Another comparison, aside from this main point but related, I have friends that use this sort of language to a varying degree. I'm sure you do, too. Or at least you've been around them. Some of them, I don't think are racist or homophobic. But some of my friends, I think know are letting a little bit of racism slip out because they think they're in a "safe" environment.

To contrast, I don't think that anyone that I've ever heard say "retard" actually has any sort of animosity toward retarded people.

Jdsizzleslice wrote:And FYI, being called a fag shouldn't hurt you unless you really are one.

agentcom wrote:I hardly think being offended should be the "ultimate litmus test." Lots of people are offended by rape jokes. That makes them in bad taste, it doesn't make them bigotry. Same with the big "c-word." Please don't suggest that being offended is what is how we decide whether something is bigotry.

It's bigotry if it's offensive and it targets a specific group. The R-word satisfies both of them. The fact that it targets a specific group should have gone without saying, and I'm surprised that you felt it necessary to point out.

Second, is the retarded "community" really offended by this or just their parents? I have a feeling it's the latter.

I really think you should be careful with what you're saying here. It suggests that the community is just a bunch of incompetent children, which could hardly be farther from the truth. Many such people are self-sufficient adults, and the idea of being mentally handicapped doesn't just mean someone who is completely unable to form intelligible thoughts.

I'm somewhat surprised at this ruling...GeneralRisk was baiting at the very least and his opponent just chose the "wrong" offensive term as retaliation, thus falling into a trap. Is this really how a situation is going to be handled, not considering circumstances in the least but simply warning one player for using a "more punishable" slur than the other? I happen to find the first slur more offensive and there is zero difference between the two as far as viability is concerned. A slur is a slur and I think the site needs to update its policies regarding them so as to not appear so dated and biased.